Chapter 16: The Azure Serpent and Ji Ning

In the cold pool of the cave.

The small azure serpent was continuously absorbing the icy power from the cold pool to nurture the 'cold miasma' within its body. Suddenly, its eyes moved. With a splash, it transformed into mist and then condensed into a girl dressed in green robes by the pool's edge. Her lips were red, her teeth white, and her eyes were dark and lively.

"How dare they come to my place?" the green-robed girl muttered. "I just want to nurture my cold miasma in peace, and they come to disturb me."

"But I'm not strong enough yet; it's better not to fight." The green-robed girl then turned into mist, and a small azure serpent flashed across the air before vanishing without a trace.

…

The white-robed and gray-robed cultivators were cautiously tracking traces when suddenly, a flash of green light appeared in the distant sky. A serpent in the air roared angrily: "You two human cultivators dare to come to my territory? You're dead!"

The voice boomed.

Whoosh.

The serpent flashed in the air and vanished.

"It's the Azure Serpent!"

"It's found us." The two cultivators were startled. The white-robed cultivator transmitted: "The Azure Serpent seems furious; it might attack us. Let's play along and secretly set up a space-locking array around here. Once it gets close, we'll activate the array, preventing it from escaping through the void. Then we'll kill it."

"Alright, be careful. Set up the array quietly. Don't let it notice." The gray-robed cultivator transmitted back.

…

Several thousand li away.

"Haha, I said they were dead. Those two fools are probably plotting how to deal with me. I, the Azure Serpent... my life is precious; why would I fight them head-on?" The small azure serpent flashed through the void and vanished again.

…

Ji Ning and Mu Zishuo were riding the dragon-headed ship, leading the many humans toward the Yinglong Guard's outpost in the Yushan Great Wasteland.

About ten thousand li from Ji Ning.

On another boat, there was a man and a woman. The man was tall and handsome—Donghe Feiyun. The woman was also beautiful—Donghe Baixue.

"Brother, killing Wanxiang demons isn't that hard. We've already slain two in one day," Donghe Baixue said happily.

"Killing two demons is nothing. We were lucky to pick a demon mountain with two Wanxiang demons first. After killing them, several other Wanxiang demons came, and we only escaped with a minor teleportation talisman," Donghe Feiyun shook his head. "And the Yinglong Guard assessment is more about making us stay in the Yushan Great Wasteland for three months. Three full months in this dangerous place—that's much harder than killing one or two Wanxiang demons."

Donghe Baixue said: "Brother, you said the closer to the Yinglong Guard outpost, the safer. The demons stay away from there. Even though we can't enter the outpost, we can find a place within ten thousand li of it and stay for three months."

"Hmm, but we still need to be careful," Donghe Feiyun said. "This is different from inside the tribe."

"I know."

Donghe Baixue replied.

Just then, a warship flew over from afar.

"Huh?" Donghe Feiyun and Donghe Baixue both looked over.

"Haha, it's Brother Feiyun of the Donghe clan!" Laughter came from the distant warship. On it stood a graceful man in white robes. The Donghe siblings recognized him at once—it was Beihe Zhou of the Lieyan Sword Sect, one of the hundred joining the Yinglong Guard.

"Brother Beihe," Donghe Feiyun called out.

"Meeting Brother Feiyun and your sister here is rare. Would you care to join me on my puppet warship for some wine?" Beihe Zhou smiled.

"Sure," Donghe Baixue smiled.

"No," Donghe Feiyun shook his head. "No need."

Donghe Baixue looked at her brother in confusion, but Donghe Feiyun glanced at her, and she said nothing more.

"In that case, I won't insist," Beihe Zhou said readily, smiling. "I'll be off then."

As soon as he spoke.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

Five streaks of light shot in different directions, fast as lightning. These five streaks were five Wanxiang cultivators, also among the hundred joining the Yinglong Guard. Each of them radiated a vast, hazy gray light, and Beihe Zhou on the warship also emitted the same light.

Six in total!

The gray light connected, enveloping the sky.

"Space-locking array!" Donghe Feiyun and Donghe Baixue's faces changed drastically.

"You, you..." Donghe Feiyun's face turned iron as he looked at the six cultivators around him. "Dong Yi of Snow Dragon Mountain, Xu Manquan of Thousand Rivers Sect, Beihe Zhou of Lieyan Sword Sect... you actually prepared a space-locking array."

Minor teleportation talismans were only useful for Zifu cultivators and ordinary Wanxiang cultivators.

But some extremely powerful Wanxiang cultivators often carried space-locking arrays. Once deployed, teleportation was impossible within the array's range.

"Four Wanxiang Perfection, two Wanxiang Late Stage." Donghe Feiyun and Donghe Baixue exchanged glances, their eyes filled with resolve.

"Kill them," Beihe Zhou said coldly.

"Kill!"

Donghe Feiyun and Donghe Baixue went berserk.

…

"I, Donghe Feiyun, will surely take revenge! I will take revenge!!!" A shrill, hate-filled cry echoed in the distance. Donghe Feiyun, covered in blood and missing an arm, burst out of the space-locking array and vanished using a minor teleportation talisman. His sister was already dead.

After all, they weren't facing Wanxiang demons lacking inheritance, but elites among Wanxiang cultivators from sects and clans.

Four Wanxiang Perfection and two Wanxiang Late Stage—once united, they absolutely crushed the siblings.

"Donghe Feiyun got away," Beihe Zhou shook his head.

"Lucky for him."

The other five flew back to the warship, and Beihe Zhou picked up the storage belt of the slain Donghe Baixue to inspect it.

"How is it?" the others asked.

"Not bad. One Wanxiang demon corpse head." Beihe Zhou handed the belt to another for inspection. Though they had sworn a heavenly oath to cooperate in ambushes, they still checked the spoils.

Beihe Zhou smiled: "Three months—it'll be easy to gather six Wanxiang demon corpses."

"Mm," Dong Yi in gold robes nodded with a smile. "Many cultivators who kill Wanxiang demons probably live near the Yinglong Guard outpost. If we patrol around, we'll surely encounter more. When we do, we kill them."

"Let's keep at it."

The group was full of anticipation.

Killing cultivators not only yielded Wanxiang demon corpses but also their magical treasures—much better than just killing demons.

…

"I, Donghe Feiyun, swear I will kill you all." Donghe Feiyun appeared in midair, covered in blood, his eyes full of hatred. "Beihe Zhou, Xu Manquan, Dong Yi..." He gritted his teeth, reciting each name as if to etch them into his soul.

"Little sister."

"Little sister." Tears streamed down Donghe Feiyun's face.

He had known the path of cultivation was dangerous, but he never expected his sister to die on their first real adventure. The once confident Donghe Feiyun was now filled with endless pain and hatred.

He also knew that among Wanxiang cultivators, mutual killing was generally not interfered with by elders.

Only if a Soul Incarnation cultivator attacked a Wanxiang cultivator—an act of 'bullying the weak'—would the victim's elders intervene.

As long as it was a fight among peers...

If you died, you could only blame your inferior skill.

Of course, if the deceased was a beloved junior of a powerful figure, like an only disciple, that figure might go mad and break the rules to avenge them.

…

Ji Ning and Mu Zishuo rode the warship, steadily advancing toward the Yinglong Guard outpost.

"Senior apprentice-brother Ji Ning," Mu Zishuo looked at the anxious people and whispered, "They're still afraid and uneasy. Even now, they fear us. Only the children are a bit bolder."

"They've been enslaved too long," Ji Ning shook his head. "Servility is deep-rooted; it's hard to change. The children still have hope."

Mu Zishuo saw the child they had rescued earlier and walked over with a smile. The child's mother, a dirty woman, nervously pulled her son back, but the boy wasn't afraid; he looked at Mu Zishuo.

"Little one, what's your name?" Mu Zishuo asked.

"I'm Iron Boy!" the child looked up. "What are your names, immortals?"

Mu Zishuo smiled: "I'm Mu Zishuo, and this is my senior apprentice-brother, Ji Ning."

"Mu Zishuo, Ji Ning..." the child murmured, as if trying to remember the names.

Ji Ning also walked over with a smile: "This Iron Boy is quite clever."

…

While Ji Ning and the others chatted with the child, a warship was approaching in the distance.

"Look, that dragon-headed warship," Beihe Zhou pointed. "If I remember correctly, it's the puppet warship of Mu Zishuo, a Black-White College disciple among the hundred. On that ship are likely Mu Zishuo and his senior apprentice-brother."

"Black-White College?"

"Black-White College disciples are all peerless geniuses; not easy to mess with."

"Should we attack?"

They hesitated.

Dong Yi in gold robes said: "Don't worry. I know Ji Ning well. He's only twenty this year. Though his talent is astonishing, he's been cultivating for a short time. As you know, his 'Redmoon Skychart' is at the ninth level, so he's a threat in close combat. If we keep our distance, we needn't fear him. And Mu Zishuo defers to Ji Ning; he's probably not that strong either."

"They're probably returning with two Wanxiang demon corpses."

"Killing Black-White College disciples is worth more than killing several Wanxiang cultivators. And one is Wanxiang Middle Stage, the other barely Wanxiang Early Stage in divine body training. We have four Wanxiang Perfection and two Wanxiang Late Stage. We can also use the six-man array to surround them."

"With surprise on our side, our chances are high."

Soon, all six agreed.

"Let's go. Kill these two peerless geniuses of Black-White College!" Beihe Zhou's eyes gleamed with murderous intent.